


Hundred Years War

by Geonn



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fights, Humor, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey, Vortex Manipulator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-26
Updated: 2011-08-26
Packaged: 2017-10-23 02:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/245343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geonn/pseuds/Geonn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started in 1892. It'll end in 2001.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hundred Years War

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trialia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trialia/gifts).



> Takes place after the final time River sees the Eleventh Doctor (before/after Time of the Angels) but before she meets Ten.

_1892_...  
Their footsteps echoed like gunshots through the narrow alleys. Helen had put her gun back in the holster under her jacket in case she needed both hands to tackle the bitch she was chasing. The thief didn't even look back, didn't waste valuable time trying to trip Helen up. There was half a city block between them and the street was all but deserted. London fog rolled between them so thick that it looked like they were running in a swamp. The legs of Helen's trousers cut through the soup, her knee-length boots saving her from a twisted ankle when she misjudged the height of the curb.

Her prey finally made a fatal error and turned down an alley Helen knew was a dead end. She allowed herself a smile and closed the distance between them, blocking the end of the alley. "This is as far as you go, Professor. Unless you lied about that as well."

River Song turned to face her with that maddening smile. "I've never lied to you, Ms. Magnus. I've simply stated the truth in a way you would believe something that wasn't so."

Helen drew her weapon. "Hand it over."

"Sorry, love. In the wrong hands, this sort of device could be dangerous."

Helen raised an eyebrow. "Precisely the reason you should hand it over."

River brought up her left arm and pushed up the sleeve. Something metallic encircled her wrist like some sort of bracelet. "Don't try it," Helen said. River didn't drop her arm, Helen lunged for her. River stopped whatever she was doing long enough to lash out, hitting Helen in the temple with a closed fist. Helen grabbed a handful of River's velvet coat and twisted as they fell. River hit the ground with Helen straddling her, and she smiled up at her.

"Well. Who said Victorian women didn't know how to have fun?"

"The device, Professor Song."

"Better luck next time, Ms. Magnus."

River seemed to be absorbed by the fog, and Helen dropped to the cobblestones. She gasped in surprise, perched on all fours in the middle of the alley. She swept her hands through the fog as if River had simply snuck away, but there was no one else in the alley with her. "Damn it," Helen muttered, rising to sit on her haunches as she considered the possibility John's ability had manifested in someone else.

Eventually, she got to her feet and brushed off the knees of her trousers. With nothing left to do and no one else to chase, she went home defeated.

 _1893_...  
Helen walked with James across London Bridge. Her arm was tucked around his and she was pressed against his side against the cold. They had been walking in silence for several minutes when Helen felt a bizarre frisson in the air. She lifted her head and was about to ask James if he felt it when there was suddenly someone standing directly in front of her. Helen jumped back. "Bloody hell!"

The woman recoiled as well and furrowed her brow. She looked at Helen for a long moment, dropping her eyes to examine Helen's outfit before examining her surroundings. "Well, that's not right..."

"Professor Song." Helen reached under James' coat for his revolver.

River frowned down at the device on her wrist. She ignored Helen aiming the weapon at her head. "This isn't possible. This--"

Helen stepped forward and knocked River's hand away from the device. James moved behind her, threading his arms around River's. All he knew was that Helen was holding a gun on her, so that made this woman his enemy. But he looked past the woman's halo of blonde curls and raised a questioning eyebrow. "A friend of yours, Helen?"

"This is Professor River Song. She feigned an interest in ancient artifacts to get her hands on the Moonstone."

River smiled confidently. "First of all, I feigned nothing. Secondly, what I took from you was far more dangerous than even you realized. You did well to keep it safe as long as you did, but it was time for the proper authorities on the subject take possession. And to this fine gentleman, I apologize for interrupting your date. But more so, I apologize for this."

River rocked her head back into James' and he stumbled. He released her and River stepped forward. She slapped the gun away and Helen heard it clatter against the stone of the bridge. Helen brought her free hand up and hit River in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She grabbed River's arm and flipped her, feeling a surge of pride when she looked into the woman's dazed, upside down expression as she lay flat on the bridge.

Helen straddled River, pinning her to the stone. "James, please contact the constables."

"That won't be necessary." River swung her arm up and Helen caught it. The blow was just a distraction, and River hit Helen on the other side of the head with her other arm. The metallic bracelet made Helen's ears ring and she tightened her thighs around River's waist but fell backward. She recovered just in time to see River jab two fingers down on the keypad of whatever she was wearing on her wrist.

"No!" River vanished again. "Damn it! Damn it to hell!"

She could hear James returning with the police. They were going to have a difficult time explaining this one.

 _1907_...  
Helen held the sponge over her chest and squeezed, letting the water cascade over her breasts and back to the tub. Her feet were resting on either side of the faucet, her hair bundled on top of her head as she watched the water form rivers down the inside of her arms. _Rivers_. She leaned in and licked them away before her mind could flash back to the damnable woman who had vexed her so often in the nineties. Her bathwater had become tepid, and she was about to pull the drain when she felt an odd pressure between her legs.

Thinking it was the pressure she often got after a long bath, she guided the sponge down her body and rested it against her center. She rubbed gently, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. The pressure suddenly increased and Helen's legs were shoved apart by a sudden presence. River Song, fully dressed in the same outfit she had worn the previous two times, appeared in the bath. River swayed backward, then reached out to correct herself. Unfortunately this caused her to grab Helen's bare breast.

"Bloody hell," they both said at the same time.

Helen reached for her gun, dropping the sponge as she did so. River angrily jabbed the device on her wrist. By the time Helen had her gun aimed at the thief's head, she had disappeared into vapor.

Helen slapped her open palm against the surface of her water and cursed in frustration.

 _1919_...  
The frisson was familiar by now. Helen felt it coming and, aware of what position they had been in last time, moved quickly to the couch. She drew up her dress, spread her legs, and leaned back at the precise moment River Song appeared between her legs. From the waist down, River's clothing was still drenched from the bath that had ended twelve years earlier. She looked down at Helen, her eyes lingering on the smooth cloth of Helen's blouse. She narrowed her eyes and retreated, allowing Helen to modestly lower her dress and rise.

"Professor Song. Nice to see you again."

"How is this possible? It's been three decades, you should be..."

"Nearly seventy years old? I am." She pulled her gun and aimed it at River. "If you attempt to activate the vortex manipulator on your wrist, I'll put a bullet through it."

"Vortex manipulator?"

Helen smiled. "I met a lovely young man who explained it to me when I described it. His name was Jack, perhaps you've met him? Time Agent? Dastardly charming?"

River shrugged.

"Very interesting pillow talk from Captain Jack. Your vortex manipulator seems to have locked onto my presence somehow. Whenever you jump, you'll be drawn to me. You can put in a different destination, but the end result is still the same. If you don't believe me, try it out. Right now. December 4, 1920."

River narrowed her eyes. She carefully brought her hands down and tapped in the time. The destination was the extraorbital Channelmoon Pok, which was about as far from London as she could imagine. She hit the button and vanished.

 _1920_...  
Helen put down her pen and folded her hands. She looked across the desk at River and smiled. "I've cleared my appointments for today. Perhaps you would like an explanation."

River jumped forward. She slapped her wrist with one hand and vanished as she crossed the desk. Helen jerked away from the assault, which amounted to little more than a gust of wind in her face. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

 _1930_...  
Nigel was standing beside Helen when she suddenly tensed. She pushed Nigel out of the way and assumed a fighting posture. "God damn it, not now. That woman!" She lashed out with one fist as a woman with curly blonde hair and a wet dress appeared in mid-air in front of her. Helen's blow knocked River to the ground, but she rolled and came up on all fours like a predatory cat. Helen aimed a finger at her. "I do not have the time for this, Professor Song!"

James' eyes had widened. "What in blue blazes..."

River got to her feet and ran. Helen pursued. Helen grabbed the collar of River's coat and pulled her back. River stumbled and fell, and Helen climbed on top of her. "It's--" River vanished and Helen fell the few inches to the floor after the body she was lying on disappeared. Helen closed her eyes and let her shoulders sag with defeat. "It's the Moonstone," she said to the empty corridor.

 _1955_...  
She didn't notice the signs until it was too late. She was focused on... other things. She dragged her fingernails up her lover's back, baring her teeth as their lower bodies moved in perfect concert. They were sweating, halfway through their third time that evening, when Helen's eyes suddenly opened. "Oh, no. Sasha, I'm sorry--"

Her view of Sasha was suddenly obscured by another woman. River Song appeared with a flash of white light, and Sasha fell back with a cry of fright. Helen scrambled for her gun, but River was too fast for her. Mumbling, cursing, jabbing her bracelet hard enough to make her fingers pop. Helen swung the gun up as River disappeared, forcing her to aim the gun at Sasha's lovely, terrified face.

"Sorry about that," Helen whispered. "I told you my job was strange."

Sasha just stared.

 _1965_...  
River punched Helen once, knocking her down as the men around her stared in shock before they offered to help her up. By the time Helen was on her feet, the attacker had vanished.

 _1968_...  
Helen blocked River's punch, twisted her arm, and kicked her knee out. River fell, punched Helen in the hip, and threw her weight to the side. They both tumbled, with Helen landing flat on her back. The stars she saw when she hit her head obscured the flash of light as River disappeared again.

 _1970_...  
River's arrival was based on her relation to Helen during her last departure. So it was that in 1968, River vanished while Helen was lying flat on her back four feet away. Two years later, River materialized two feet above Helen's head.

Unfortunately in this case, Helen was standing in the middle of her office.

River materialized near the ceiling and plummeted as soon as gravity took control. Helen stepped forward and caught her, the force of impact knocking them both to the ground. Helen pinned both of River's hands over her head, making sure to keep her right hand away from the vortex manipulator. "Listen to me, damn it. Listen to what I've been trying to tell you for fifty damn years. The Moonstone is affecting your vortex manipulator. Since you activated it while we were in contact, it thinks _I_ am a part of you. Therefore no matter how far you run or where you hide, it will bring you back to me. The only option is to leave the Moonstone behind when you leave. That will break the connection and you'll be free."

"And you'll have the Moonstone."

"That's the cost of being free of me."

River smiled. "I could always escape, stow the Moonstone somewhere, and then come back to get it another time."

"The fatal flaw in your plan involves escaping."

"You think you're that good?"

Helen released River's arms. River slapped the vortex manipulator and

( _1972_ )slipped free from Helen's grasp. Helen grabbed the collar of River's jacket and wrapped one arm around River's neck. She pulled River back against her ( _1974_ ) and River buried an elbow in Helen's gut. The air rushed from Helen in a gust ( _1975_ ) but seemed to come back immediately. She clapped River's ears and River recoiled as she realized that Helen had the time to recover from any attack. River backed up and her back touched the wall as ( _1979_ ) she pushed away from the wall and wrapped her arms around Helen's waist. They hit the ground, suddenly outside. Sand kicked up on all sides of them as River punched Helen in the face. Helen ( _1986_ ) protected the baby against her chest as she spun and kicked River in the chest. River hit the hardwood floor of Helen's office ( _1988_ ) and scrambled through the waist-high water. She reached the shore ( _1997_ ) and Helen tackled her from behind. They hit the ground and River twisted, kicked at Helen's head with the heel of one boot as she slapped the vortex manipulator.

She and Helen stared at each other, clutching each other on the floor of the office as River hit the device with the heel of her hand. "Damn it. Damn it, come on..."

A man cleared his throat. They were on the floor in the middle of the office, and they were surrounded by people. A lanky young boy, probably barely in his teens, was staring down at them. "Uh... y-you need a hand here, Dr. Magnus?"

"No, thank you, Henry." She pushed herself up and looked with dismay at the moisture on her clothes. She sighed and looked down at River. "In 1988, in your attempt to escape the Red Sea, the vortex manipulator became waterlogged. I was surprised you had enough juice for that final jump, but alas, that will be it. So much for escape, Professor Song."

River got to her feet, drenched, sore, and exhausted. She had no idea how long she and Helen had been fighting in real-time, but she was willing to admit she had really been exerting herself for over a century. Helen reached out to steady her and then removed the useless manipulator from River's wrist. "Henry, please take a look at that."

"Uh, sure, Doc. What... is it?"

"You tell me. Consider it your science project for school."

He took the manipulator and walked off. Helen faced River and raised an eyebrow. "I take it you'll be handing over the Moonstone now."

River reached into her coat and withdrew the device. She placed it in Helen's hand and, to Helen's surprise, smiled. "I suppose you have earned it."

Helen grinned and motioned for one of the other men in the room to step forward. "Take her to a holding cell, please."

River turned as she was led away. "This isn't over, Helen. You're smart enough to know that."

Helen smiled. "And you're smart enough to know I won't let my guard down even when you're behind locked doors."

The two women exchanged looks then, well aware of what had just happened. An enemy hadn't been defeated; Helen had merely won their little game of wills. Helen whispered, "Checkmate," and sat on the edge of the desk with relief that everything was actually over.

 _2001_...  
Helen woke to the sound of footsteps in her room. She sat up, gun already in hand, and aimed it at the silhouette at the foot of her bed. "Don't move."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Helen tensed at the voice. " _You_."

"Of course, darling. Couldn't go without saying goodbye."

"The Moonstone?"

"Safely where you left it, I assure you. I meant what I said in the note."

Four years ago, River had vanished from her containment cell in the lower levels of the Sanctuary. The only thing she left behind was a note that said, "You fought for one hundred and five years to protect this. I'd say it's in good hands. Keep it safe, darling." The letter had been signed with a smear of lipstick. They checked the security cameras, but the only unexplained thing they found was an antique blue police box that appeared in front of River's cell. When it disappeared, River was gone.

"So what is this? Gloating?"

"No. This is me stopping by to congratulate a worthy opponent on a victory well-earned. I came here with the sole intent of acquiring the Moonstone and taking it back where I thought it belonged. You proved to me that it was safer here than anywhere I could have taken it. You made me admit I was wrong. Take your victory, Dr. Magnus."

Helen accepted she was telling the truth and folded her legs under the blankets. She rested the gun in the space between her knees and laid her hands on top of it. "So I take it I won't be seeing you again."

"Don't count on that, Dr. Magnus. Time may be vast, but life is so very long."

She leaned down and stroked Helen's cheek before she bent down and pecked Helen's lips.

"You were a worthy opponent, Dr. Magnus."

"As were you, Professor Song."

It seemed as if the air in the room hiccupped, and then the silhouette was gone. Helen stowed the gun back under her pillow and settled back against the mattress. She pulled the blanket up to her chest, closed her eyes, and smiled.

She had won.

This round, at least.


End file.
